August 27, 2011

The Ups And Downs And The Ins And Outs: August's Virgo New Moon

The wheel goes round and round, some are up and some are on the down, and still the wheel goes round. Josephine Pollard

We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the Secret sits in the middle and knows. Robert Frost

Life is a roller coaster. Try to eat a light lunch. David A. Schmaltz

If only bad habits could be broken as easily as hearts! Christopher Spranger

It’s not true that life is one damn thing after another—it’s the same damn thing over and over. Edna St. Vincent Millay

Few tasks are more like the torture of Sisyphus than housework, with its endless repetition: the clean becomes soiled; the soiled is made clean, over and over, day after day. Simone de Beauvoir

An umeboshi plum is a little Japanese salt plum. The best thing for motion sickness is to take one of these plums . . . and tape it to your belly button. I’m not kidding you. This really, really works. Marilu Henner

The Virgo new Moon, occurring on August 28 in the United States and August 29 in Australia, is on Virgo 6: A Merry-Go-Round. This new Moon seems set to bring at least some measure of light relief after several months of very intense lunations (full and new Moons). The following is from my book The Sabian Oracle: 360 Degrees Of Wisdom

A ‘Merry-Go-Round’ is a Symbol that arouses memories of fair grounds, carnivals, playgrounds and childhood fun and games. The blaringly loud music, the children looking around at each other and watching the faces and the squeals of the others were all part of the fun. The thrill of going around and around was the objective. This can be great fun for children and big kids alike who enjoy this type of activity without tiring or getting bored. It can, however, be another story when we’re older. It can be tiring going around in circles without finding any real outcome or having a clear sense of an objective to strive for.

There’s a need to see definite possibilities and evidence of advancement in life and to feel as though we are making progress towards a goal or a clear outcome. This image can relate to any situation where we feel stuck in repetitive or un-progressive ruts. Relationships, marriages, jobs and everyday chores or habits can have you running around in circles landing you right back in the same place. This can lead you to wonder if you should just hold on tight, wait to see if the thing will ever eventually stop or jump off. Jumping off whilst things are still in motion can actually feel life threatening. The desire, longing or even addiction to things, people, places, substances, etc., can put a hold on your life to the point where you can’t see a way out. Just when you may think you’ve seen a way to get off, or out, you’re back in the same situation, emotion or location. However, each time you return to what feels like the same place, if you’ve been watchful, you’ve had the opportunity to look at other alternatives, answers or possibilities. At some stage, though, there will need to be a decision made: do you want to keep going round and round, or do you want to stop repetitive situations or reactions and get off?

Keywords: Repeating circles of activity. Looking for a park. Driving around and around. Motion sickness. Childhood fun and joy. Yo-yo-ing and oscillating backwards and forwards. Emotional polarization. Once you’re on it, you want to get off. The ups and downs and the ins and outs. Habits that are hard to break. Carnivals. Lights. Noise. Music.

The Caution: Repeating the same mistakes. Bouncing around from one thing to another and not getting anywhere. Feeling like there’s no end in sight. Addictive behavior. Feeling dizzy. Not being able to focus on one point. Manic depression. Getting nowhere. Seeking only pleasure. Seemingly endless treadmills. Motion sickness.

So, where are you going round and round and round in your life? Do you return to the same place again and again and wonder what you're doing?

Adding to this idea is Saturn on Libra 15: Circular Paths. I mean really, you wouldn't read about it :) The following are the quotes I've gathered for this Symbol... am I repeating the theme? Well, yes, this theme is repeating itself.

History is simply one damned thing after another. Winston Churchill

The air is full of our cries. But habit is a great deadener. Samuel Beckett

Dangers bring fears, and fears more dangers bring. Richard Baxter

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle

When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. Bumper Sticker

The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. Oliver Wendell Holmes

As people are walking all the time, in the same spot, a path appears. Lu Xun

Men have become the tools of their tools. Henry David Thoreau

As I write this, hurricane Irene is gyrating its way up the east coast of the United States. Hopefully it will peter out and not do much damage. It's interesting to note the circular path that constitutes a hurricane in the light of the image for this new Moon. Further, there's the Symbol that Saturn will move onto by August 31st: Libra 16: After The Storms Of Winter, A Boat Landing Stands In Need Of Reconstruction.

Hurricanes or storms in your life or not, Saturn on this degree is showing how many people are going to be in the process of 'rebuilding' their lives. What is it that is, or has, deteriorated and needs refurbishment? It could be your health, relationships, financial situation, the home where you live, anything. What needs rebuilding? What were the "Storms Of Winter"? Is it something recent or something that happened quite some time ago that you're now seeing the results of? Saturn is suggesting we get out our building materials - our 'hammers and nails' - and get about reconstructing the bits of our lives that have been damaged or knocked down in some way.

Thankfully, Mercury, the ruler of the Virgo new Moon, is now no longer retrograde, having turned prograde a few days before this new Moon. Mercury went direct on Leo 19: A Houseboat Party. This can have one going around in circles as well and feeling somehow 'unmoored', or wondering where exactly they are going to end up landing.

Mercury has just moved onto the next degree for this new Moon; Leo 20: American Indians Perform A Ritual To The Sun.

The Caution: Egoistic responses to life situations leading to narrow responses. Relying too much on rituals to manifest magic (without putting in any effort). Losing sight of the meaning of ceremony. Holding onto tradition without intuiting new and modern truths. Living in the past. Cult worship. Losing identity in one’s own culture. Sunstroke.

Venus is along for the ride in this new Moon. Venus is conjunct (together with) the Sun and Moon on Virgo 9: An Expressionist Painting Making A Futuristic Drawing. Venus is bringing us hope and help to make those plans to get life back on track, or on a new trajectory, with new plans and visions for the future.

Keywords: Creativity projected into the future. Seeing things ahead of their time. Taking chances. Having the dreamer’s disease. Talent. Seeing things in a different way. Being unrestricted by reality. Time machines and time travel. Artists, architects and engineers. Plans, schemes, blueprints. "When I win the lottery..." Forecasting and prediction. Genius. Sketches. Abstract art.

The Caution: Focusing on tomorrow not today. Not seeing the complete picture. Plans that often come to nothing. Being unrealistic. Losing touch with the real world. Losing enthusiasm. Thinking the worst will happen. Making things up that don't reflect reality. Being stuck on one version of the future. Living for tomorrow, not today. Distorted reality. Getting lost in abstract thought. Being divorced from the real world.

With Venus on this degree with all this going around in circles energy that we've got going on, it helps to have a focus that leads you forward into the future. Shortly after the new Moon, Venus moves onto Virgo 10: Two Heads Looking Out And Beyond The Shadows. This is a great degree for being able to see both sides of a situation, but it can have us being afraid to make a move in case we get things wrong. It also speaks of the media (more Rupert Murdoch NEWS? - did you know that FOX is 666 and NEWS is 5551? - interesting!) Making decisions and sticking to them and yet being open to seeing how others may feel is the main point of Venus here, I believe. There will, I believe, be more to come out of the recent media scandals going on around the world. Another point of this Symbol *can be* (doesn't have to be!), people spying on each other, waiting for someone to trip up, make a mistake or whatever.

I digress... Venus conjunct the new Moon is a lovely omen of things going well, but there is a caution not to be too judgmental (or mental, for that matter ;) ), and for allowing for your own, and others', foibles.

Mars is on Cancer 17: The Seed Grows Into Knowledge And Life. This speaks of learning things, it can show pregnancies of all kinds. What is it that you are sprouting at this time? What is in need of fertilizing and watering? What is germinating in your mind and heart? Mars is squaring Saturn, which has brought about a lot of tension and worry in the lead up to this new Moon. Thankfully, Mars will be separating out from that square but the energy will be there for some time, adding to the need to rebuild one's life in some way.

Jupiter is in a lovely trine aspect to this new Moon and the energy of Jupiter's beneficence will continue to grow in the days after the new Moon. Jupiter is on Taurus 11: A Woman Sprinkling Long Rows Of Flowers. This so reflects the degree of Mars where the image is of the 'seed'. Here, Jupiter has the 'flowers'. I see both Jupiter and Mars as showing the need to nurture and nourish ourselves and others in every way possible. Nurture and watch things grow from small beginnings.

Pluto is in a wonderfully close trine aspect, also, to the new Moon. In fact there's a grand trine happening with the new Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Pluto. This is wonderful and shows how this new Moon looks set to bring some really good things our way. The trick is that many people are not exactly sure where they're going (in some sense, at least). It feels really important at the moment to get a handle on what is true and real and what is not, what is useful and appropriate and what is fake and unreal.

Pluto is on Capricorn 5: Indians - Some Rowing A Canoe While Others Are Dancing A War Dance. While some people just want to get on with their lives, others want to cause obstructions, make war or just generally cause problems. Perhaps 'war' can involve wanting to make a difference, to right injustices and to stir things up where things need stirring up. This is great and as it should be, but there will be issues of some just causing problems for the sake of causing problems. Be on the lookout for those who just want to 'rock the boat' and make life difficult for others. We need to 'row our canoe' and head in the direction we want and we may just have to jettison some things, memories, issues to do with the past, etc, and move on. Pluto in trine aspect to this new Moon is wonderful as it can help us to push past these barriers and into a more powerful, respectful and rewarding life.

Chiron is ever present, as he always ever is (smile), and he's bringing a challenge, also, to the new Moon. Chiron is opposite this new Moon at Pisces 3: A Petrified Forest, An Eternal Record Of A Life Lived Long Ago. This adds more oomph to the need to sort through what's real and what's not, what's worth hanging onto and what's not. Records from the past; papers, photographs, memorabilia, may need to be sorted through and some assigned to the rubbish bin of your history. Some, of course, you might like to frame and put up on the wall as a reminder of days gone by. Chiron, from my reckoning, is very much about 'the stories we tell ourselves'... have your stories about yourself fossilized over the years and become stuck in amber? The following are some of the themes for this degree:

The Caution: Rigidity, immobility, inflexibility. Being frozen. Not letting go of difficulties. Hanging on for grim death. Feeling stuck. Destroying the old. Severing links to the past. Keeping tabs. Memories that destroy the present.

It seems it's time to get straight about our stories, our lives, the myths we portray (perhaps betray), and to get going with our new objectives. Can you feel the energy building?

Comments

The wheel goes round and round, some are up and some are on the down, and still the wheel goes round. Josephine Pollard

We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the Secret sits in the middle and knows. Robert Frost

Life is a roller coaster. Try to eat a light lunch. David A. Schmaltz

If only bad habits could be broken as easily as hearts! Christopher Spranger

It’s not true that life is one damn thing after another—it’s the same damn thing over and over. Edna St. Vincent Millay

Few tasks are more like the torture of Sisyphus than housework, with its endless repetition: the clean becomes soiled; the soiled is made clean, over and over, day after day. Simone de Beauvoir

An umeboshi plum is a little Japanese salt plum. The best thing for motion sickness is to take one of these plums . . . and tape it to your belly button. I’m not kidding you. This really, really works. Marilu Henner

The Virgo new Moon, occurring on August 28 in the United States and August 29 in Australia, is on Virgo 6: A Merry-Go-Round. This new Moon seems set to bring at least some measure of light relief after several months of very intense lunations (full and new Moons). The following is from my book The Sabian Oracle: 360 Degrees Of Wisdom